10 Incredible International Candy Bars

Candy bars are universally adored. What’s not to like about sweet chocolate studded with nuts, candies, and the like? But some brands, like Kit Kat, offer a few unusual options overseas that you unfortunately won’t find stateside. We’re talking wasabi-flavored Kit Kats and Kit Kats that turn into pastries when baked in the oven.

Then there are international candy bars you may have never even heard of—like the salted licorice-studded Maribou Black Saltlakrits, and Zotter’s sweet potato-vodka chocolate bar. Click through the list to see some of the wildest and mot historic candy bars from around the world.

Marabou Black Saltlakrits

Country of origin: Sweden
Buy it here:Swedish Food ShopSaltlakrits is an unusual and beloved Swedish confection. This salty licorice is known to have a tongue-numbing effect, and even the most dedicated licorice lovers may find it hard to stomach the astringent candy. Not for the faint of heart, Marabou offers a milk chocolate bar chock-full of saltlakrits.

Bakeable Kit Kat Bar

Country of origin: Japan
When it comes to Kit Kat bars, the Japanese get seriously creative. From unexpected flavors like edamame and wasabi, to more whimsical versions like cherry blossom and blueberry cheesecake, there’s a Kit Kat bar to suit every taste. The newly released Bake N’ Tasty Mini Kit Kats bars are a true game-changer in the candy world. These petite bars are made to be baked in a toaster oven, so that the sugar content hardens, turning them into crispy wafer biscuits. This genius creation comes in two flavors: chocolate and custard pudding.

Zotter Potato Vodka

Country of origin: Austria
Buy it here:Zotter
In 1999, chef Josef Zotter created his eponymous confectionary company, Zotter Chocolates. The all-organic chocolates are produced entirely in-house—from the roasting of the cocoa beans all the way to the packaging. Angus Kennedy, a British chocolate aficionado, dubbed Zotter the “Most Creative Chocolate Company” thanks to its wild assortment of flavors including almond roses, egg liqueur, and pineapple. But this milk chocolate barfilled with a vodka-spiked sweet potato ganache is the real standout of Zotter’s collection.

Cadbury Cherry Ripe

Country of origin: Australia
Buy it here:Sanza
This bright-pink bar is adored for its cherry and coconut-flake filling, and dark chocolate casing. Created in 1924 by MacRobertson’s, the Cherry Ripe bar holds the title as Australia’s oldest candy bar. In 1967, the MacRobertson’s heirs sold off the company to Cadbury, which slapped its name onto the popular bar.

Mandelstang

Country of origin: Norway
Buy it here:Scandinavian ButikMandelstang is one of the oldest chocolate bars in Norway. Created by the Norwegian confectioner company Freia in 1897, the recipe for Mandelstang has not changed since its creation. This classic candy is comprised of a thick bar of vanilla fondant drenched in chocolate, then sprinkled with chopped almonds.

Marabou Polkagris

Country of origin: Sweden
In 1859 in the tiny Swedish town of Gränna, a 35-year-old widow named Amalia Eriksson set out to support herself by opening a candy store. She created the wildly-popular polkagris, a thick red-and-white peppermint stick made with boiled and twisted sugar dough. After Eriksson’s passing, her secret polkagris recipe was revealed and candy shops sprung up all over town replicating the candy. Since then, Gränna has been nicknamed “the candy capital of the world,” hosting over one million visitors a year who come to the town to eat polkagris. In 1918, the Norwegian chocolatier Johan Throne Holst founded Marabou, one of Sweden’s oldest chocolate brands. Marabou is to Sweden what Hershey is to America—a chocolate institution. The Marabou Polkagris is a milk chocolate bar flecked with pieces of peppermint stick, combining two of Sweden’s favorite sweet treats into one.

Klik XL with Cookies & Wheat Germ

Country of origin: Israel
When it comes to candy, wheat germ is probably the last ingredient you’d think of adding to your chocolate. The protein-packed powder is associated with health food, not sweet treats. But the Klik XL with wheat germ and cookies—made by the kosher candy company Paskesz—is crunchy, malty, and surprisingly satisfying.

Yorkie

Country of origin: England
Buy it here:Amazon
In 1976, Jim Yorkie created the Yorkie candy bar, an extra-chunky biscuit-covered chocolate bar studded with raisins. From its inception, Yorkie took a firm stance on being a candy bar for men, with early commercials featuring bulky truck drivers chomping down on the bars. On April Fool’s Day 2002, Yorkie took this mantra to the next level, slapping the slogan “It's not for girls” onto every chocolate bar, causing (understandable) controversy. Despite the backlash, Nestlé’s sales on Yorkie bars were up 30%, and it took ten years for the slogan to get dropped from the packaging.

Darrell Lea Dark Chocolate Covered Ginger Fudge

Country of origin: Australia
Buy it here:Percy's
Founded in 1927, Darrell Lea is one of the oldest and largest confectionary companies in Australia. Initially, Darrel Lea started off as a snack cart before blossoming into the candy giant that it is today. One of its more unusual candy bars—at least by American standards—is this ginger and fudge chocolate bar. Bold with a sharp bite, it’s a far cry from Snickers.

Gullbrød

Country of origin: Norway
Buy it here:Ingebretsen'sGullbrød, which translates to "gold bread," is a bar of rich marzipan enveloped in a thin Norwegan milk chocolate shell. Created in 1915 by the Norwegian chocolate company Nidar, Gullbrød is another classic candy bar that doesn’t get a lot of love outside Scandinavia.

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